Method of making brake beams



g 22, 1939. c. R. BUSCH' 2,170,117

METHOD OF MAKING BRAKE BEAMS Original Filed April 3, 193'? INVENTOR (ar/ea E flaac.

' ATTORNEY filed April 3, 1937.

Patented Aug. 1939 PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF MAKING BRAKE BEAMS Charles R. Busch, Orange, N. 1., assignor to Buffalo Brake Beam Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Original application .April 3, 1937, Serial N...

Divided andthis application August '7, 1937, Serial No. 157,8d2 n 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a method of making forged or cast brake beams of the trussed ,type from a single 'piece of malleable metal such as steel, to be formed integrally at each end into a substantial mass of solidified metal of the original bar, the end portions of the bar to be so proportioned as to have substantially parallel upper and lower surfaces of suitable area, whereby the beam is substantially strengthened and 40 is adapted to be guided at its so formed end portions in guides of the side frame'of a car truck as disclosed in my previous application, Serial No. 130,881, filed March 15, 1937, although the method is applicable to the making of brake beams generally whether or not they are to be guided by the side frames. This application is a division of my application Serial No. 134,792

The above being among the objects of the present invention, the same consists of certain method steps hereinafter described and then claimed with reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating a suitable method and wherein Fig. 1 is an edge view of a suitably shaped bar of metal, substantially only one-half thereof being shown as the other half not shown would be the same;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing one end of the bar as having beenupset, compacted and shortened;

Fig. 3' is a plan view of the bar after the compression and tension member portions have been formed for eventually providing a brake beam;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line l-l, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the upset end of the bar on line 5-5, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view on a smaller scale of a complete trussed brake beam made in accordance with this method.

Referring to Fig. 1', only the approximate length of half of the bar ofsteel from which the brake beam is to be formed is shown, and the same is the case with respect to Figs. 2 and 3 which illustrate certain steps in the method, but it will be understood that the other halves not shown will correspond.

As shown in Fig. 1, the bar I is of malleable metal and is preferably of approximate cruciform or plus sign shape as specifically shown in Fig. 4, although other and somewhat similar shapes of bar blanks might be employed. Said bar l0 when shaped from rolled steel or the like will have a pair of longitudinal flanges or webs H extending in opposite direction in the same plane, a longitudinal web or flange l2 extending at right. angles to the plane of the pair of flanges H, and preferably. a rod-shaped rib or bead l3 located in the same plane as the flange l2 and a reduced neck I which connects the-rib l3 with the flanges ll. Such'neck I4 is defined by longitudinal grooves at opposite sides of the rib I! as shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to Fig. 2, the bar I0 is shown as having been reduced in length by upsetting or forging each end portion so as to form at each end of the bar a solid portion l5 or mass of metal, such mass being compacted into a solid integral member at each end of the bar. The solid end portion 15 is shown as having been fiattened out and is preferably of the thickness shown in Fig. 5. The compacted mass of metal at each end of the bar is shown as having been reduced in thickness, with respect to the outward direction in which the flanges ll extend, so that such thickness is of much less dimension than the-width of the bar between the edges of the flanges or webs I I, and as viewed end-wise each end portion will preferably have a substantially rectangular contour, as is clear by reference to Fig. 5. The width and transverse dimensions of each flattened solid portion I5 are preferably greater than the width of the bar l0 and its corresponding dimensions soas to provide shoulders I 6.

The substantially flat parallel surfaces of the solid end portion l5 are each of substantial area and of substantially rectangular shape, except that in upsetting or forging such end portion the actual terminal surface I! is formed into arcuate shape, to assist in guiding the beam and preventing its binding if the beam is to be guided by the side frames of a car truck. The length ,of the-upset end portion l5 having approximately flat upper and lower surfaces l5a, l5b is preferably such that a brake head may be accepted or received thereupon and may be rigidly mounted in position.

The bar ill having been formed at each end with the described end portion I5 is .next incised or sheared lengthwise so as to ultimately provide a member l8, 19 which is to become the compression member of the brake beam and a member 20 to become the ultimate tension member thereof. shape shown in Fig. 3 is preferably obtained by shearing or cutting the bar along the line of the neck ll close to the oppositely extending The preformed brake beam in the flanges or webs II, and then by spreading or expanding the member 20 so as to form the tension member in a direction away from the flanges II and I2 which form the compression member. The shearing action is continued to points very close to each of the opposite end portions l5, that is, to points close to each shoulder Hi.

When so formed, the tension member portion and the compression member portion will lie in substantially the same horizontal plane as each end, portion [5. In thus forming the tension member 20 it is provided with an elbow 2| at its midlength for receiving the ultimate strut 22, Fig. 6, which when forced into place the power exerted will camber the compression member l8, I9. Q

Obviously, the invention as shown and described is susceptible to modification as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new is- 1. The method of making trussed brake beams, including providing a bar of metal of substantially cruciform shape transversely having parallel upper and lower flanges between opposite parallel edge portions, all extending lengthwise of the bar from end to end, compacting the end portions of the bar both end-wise and in a direction at right angles to the plane of said edge portions to eliminate the upper and lower flanges at the end portions, shorten and spread the bar, thereby forming solid, relatively wider, end portions and substantially flat upper and lower surfaces thereon extending substantially parallel with the plane of the edge portions remaining, the thickness of the end portions being maintained for substantially the thickness of one of the edge portions, cutting the bar longitudinally between such flattened end portions in a plane substantially at right angles to said surfaces and along a line close to and substantially parallel with the remainder of said upper and lower flanges to provide a compression member portion and a tension member portion, and spreading the remainder of said one edge portion away from the flanged compression. member portion in a plane substantially parallel with the said upper and lower surfaces of the compacted end portions and to shorten the thus formed bar to a greater extent, whereby to form a tension member, substantially as set forth.

2. The method of making trussed brake beams, including providing a bar of metal of substantially cruciform shape transversely having parallel upper and lower flanges between opposite parallel edge portions, all extending lengthwise of the bar from end to end, compacting the end portions of the bar both end-wise and in a direction at right angles to the plane of said edge portions to eliminate the upper and lower flanges at the end portions, shorten and spread the bar, thereby forming solid, relatively wider, end portions and substantially flat upper and lower surfaces thereon extending substantially parallel with the plane of the edge portions remaining,

the thickness of the end portions being maintained for substantially the thickness of one of the edge portions, forming the terminal surfaces of such compacted end portions in arcuate shape, cutting the bar longitudinally between such flattened end portions in a plane substantially at right angles to said surfaces and along a line close to and substantially parallel with the remainder of said upper and lower flanges to provide a compression member portion and a tension member portion, and spreading the remainder of said one edge portion away from the flanged compression member portion in a plane substantially parallel with the said upper and lower surfaces of the compacted end portions and to shorten the thus formed bar to a greater extent, whereby to form a tension member, substantially as set forth.

CHARLES R. BUSCH. 

